[2] Kulkarni created paintings that were at the confluence of tradition & modern art values and influenced by styles he witnessed during his travels abroad.

His ideas, technical skills and teaching has influenced the work of many contemporary painters who have trained in the art institutes of Delhi and Varanasi.

To make ends meet, Kulkarni worked as a painter of signboards and movie banners in the early 1930s.

[7] This was the time when Kulkarni gained recognition not only as an institution builder but also for his kind nature as a teacher and an artist.

He was also invited by the governments of the USA, USSR, Germany, Poland, Mexico, South Korea, Netherlands and the UK as a guest artist.

[9] The range of works created by Kulkarni include numerous sketches, oil and acrylic paintings, sculptures in terracotta, wood as well as ceramic.

In his later works, the stylistic influence of Pablo Picasso's Cubism is markedly visible that merge with the forms of traditional Indian folk and tribal art.

The fantastic vibrancy he achieves by the soft, light strokes of his brush casts an aura of light through and around the boldly and vigorously delineated forms; the swift strokes build up planes of color which transform perspective space into aesthetic space, set up an orchestration which engulfs and entices the viewer into the unfathomable depths of a world created within the four corners of the canvas.

His range is wide, and the eye moves with unanticipated delight from orange to amber to veridian in the unique harmonies he creates with the deft and sure touch of a master impresario.

His canvases have a freshness which does not brook over painting; the surface of the canvas can be felt through each maiden stroke of the brush.